Fire-escape



\No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

HQ STEIMANN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

0. 589961. PatentedAgg/a 2o, 1897. E113. y -Zxf wf i 10a-'Im me;

UNITED STATES PATENT EETQE.

HENRY STEIMANN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,961, dated .April20, 1897. Application filed May 22,1896. Serial No. 592,576. (No model.)

T0 cir/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY STEIMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its objectv to provide an improved fire-escape.

To this end my invention comprises the novel `devices and combinationsof devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

In my invention I employ a bracket or headpiece, a reel or windlassmounted on said bracket, a friction device for limiting the speed of theunwinding movement of said reel, and a cable wound on said reel andprovided at its free end with a hook or grapple adapted for applicationto a window-sill or other suitable portion of the building from which aperson wishes to descend.

The friction device for controlling the unwinding movement of the reelis preferably in the form of a sliding friction-clutch, which isoperated by the hand-controlled clamp, and the reel-cable above referredto is preferably in the form of a metallic tape or spring-steel ribbon.

The device which is to hold the person is secured to the bracket orhead-piece and may take various forms, but is preferably in the form ofa body-loop or body-strap.

' The hook or grapple at the free end of the cable or tape is preferablyprovided with a tripping or releasing lever, which has a flexibleconnection adapted to be extended to the ground and by means of whichsaid trip-lever may be actuated to release said hook or grapple from itshold on the support to which it has been attached. This releasing deviceabove described is a valuable adjunct to the fire-escape in that itenables the same to be readily removed from the building after it hasdone'its work, and thus to save the same from destruction with theburning building. In the preferred form of 4my nre-escape the cable orflexible connection from the trip-lever is also wound in a sheaveportion, which is either formed on or secured with the main reel orwindlass above described. In this case, however, the trip-lever cable isgiven a sufcient amount of slack, so that when the main or supportingcable or tape is drawn taut by the weight of the person descending thetrip-lever will not be rendered operative.

My invention also comprises other novel features of construction whichwill also be hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, like letters referring to like parts throughout theseveral views- Figure l is aview in perspective with some parts brokenaway, showing my improved fire-escape in working position. Fig. 2 is aview, partly in section with some parts broken away, showing the hook atthe free end of the main or supporting` cable and the trip-lever forreleasing the same, said parts being shown as just released from thewindow-sill. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section taken substantially onthe line X3 X3 of Fig. 4L. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section takenon the line X4 X4 of Fig. 3, some parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section taken through a portion of the devicesubstantially on the line X5 Xi of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a plan view,with some parts broken away, showing the spindle on which the reel andfrictional clutch are mounted, together with a handpiece by means ofwhich the friction-clutch is controlled.

a indicates the sill of the window of a building to which thefire-escape is applied and from which the same is suspended.

As shown, the bracket or head-piece is formed by a pair of side piecesZJ and ZJ', which are rigidly connected at their ends by means of a pairof tie-bolts b2 b3. As shown, the upper tie-bolt h2 is held in place bysuitable nuts h4, while the lower bolt b3, which, by the way, is shownas hollow and of considerably greater diameter than the bolt b2, issecured in place by having its ends riveted.

In suitable seats formed in the central hub portions b5 h6 of the sidepieces b and b is rigidly secured a spindle c c. At one end the spindlec c is provided with a head which bears against the outer face of thehub be, and at its other end is provided with a key c?,

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which lits a suitable seat in the hub 1f and prevents the spindle fromturning, while at its extreme outer portion the spindle is screwthreadedand provided with a nut e3.

As shown, the reel or windlass d is provided with two peripheralchannels or sheave portions d and d?, adapted to receive, respectively,the main or suspending cable or tape and the trip-lever cableoreonneetion. This reel d is loosely mounted on the red uced portion eof the spindle c c and is provided on its right face with a V-shapedannular groove d3 and on its left face with a hub d4, which bearsagainst the inner face of the side piece ZJ when pressed by thefriction-clutch.

f indicates the main or supporting cable in the form of a steel tape,which is adapted to be wound in the groove or sheave portion d' ofthereel d. One end of this tapefis secured to the reel d by some suitablemeans, (not showin) and to the free end of the saine is secured a hookor grapple f. As shown, the stem end of this hook f' is provided with asoeketf, into which the free end of the tape 2 5 f, together with theclamping-plate f3, is inserted, and the parts are thus held together bymeans of clamp-screws f", which work through said socket f2 and impingeon said platefs.

Referring new tothe friction-clutch device, g indicates a sliding cap orplate, the hub of which is mounted on the portion c' of the fixedspindle e c. This cap or plate g is thus mounted for sliding, but fixedagainst rotary motion on the spindle-section e by means of a key g',which is passed diam etrieally through the longitudinally-elongated slote'1 in said spindlesection c' and engages suitable seats g2 in the hubof said cap g with its extended ends. Secured to the inner face of thissliding cap g, by means of screws g1", is an annular facing g", of wood,which in cross-section is V-shaped, corresponding to and adapted forengagement with the V-shaped groove d3 in the face of the reel d.

The frietional action of the friction-clutch just described iscontrolled by means of a screw h, which works through the end of theshaft-section e' centrally thereof and is adapted to impinge on thecentral portion of the key g. The outer end of this screw 7L is providedwith a knurled head 7L', adapted to be gripped by the operators hand. Itwill thus be seen that by screwing in on the screw-rod 7L thefriction-clutch may be forced inward, so that the annular facing g4 willfrietionally engage the groove d3 in the reel d, and that the intensityof this frietional engagement may thereby be varied at will, so as tovary the speed at which the rider will descend.

The threaded portion of the spindle-section e' andthe adjacent portionof the brackethub D are provided with coincident slots h2, which extendon a line corresponding to the thread of the screw-bolt 72 and saidscrewbolt 7L is provided with a radialiy-projecting pin h3, which worksin said coincident slots.

These coincident slots h2 have such length, that, in coperation with thepin h3, they will permit the screw 7L to be turned inward to such anextent that the friction-clutch will be forced against the reel with astrong enough friction to stop the movement of the reel when the personis descending on the device, but will serve as a stop to prevent saidscrew h from being turned outward suiciently to permit the friction ofthe friction-clutch on the reel from being entirely relieved. Thislatter feature is, as will later more clearly appear, very important, asit serves to prevent the too-rapid descent of the person using thelire-escape.

On the lower tie-bolt b3 of the bracket or head-block is mounted a yoke7s, which, as shown, is provided with a handpieee 7c and an intermediatecross-piece 7a2, over which is passed a body-strap m.

The tripping or releasing device shown comprises a tripping or releasinglever p, pivoted at one end to the hook f' at a point a short distanceinward ol' the point of said hook and a light cable or flexibleconnection 1)',attaehed to the free end of said trip-lever 2a. The lowerend of the cable or connection p is secured by some suitable means (notshown) to the reel d and is wound in the groove or sheave portion d2 ofsaid reel. It will be noted that both of the cables f and p' are, whenthe device is in working position, adapted to engage and run over thedoublegrooved antit'rietion-sleeve 197, loosely journaled on the upperbracket tie-rod b2. It will also be noted that the tripping or releasinglever p is provided with stop-pin p2, which is adapted to engage thehook j, and thereby to limit the movement of said lever in bothdirections. It will also be noted, by reference to Fig. 2, that when thetripping-lever is moved into its tripping or releasing position thepoint of the hook f will be withdrawn from the support to which it isattached and rendered inoperative by said lever.

On the hub d* of the windlass d is rigidly secured a small spur-gear s.In the bracketpiece l), just below the hub if, is mounted, with freedomfor both endwise and rotary movements, a short shaft s, provided on itsinner end with a spur-pinion .s2 and on its outer end with a crank-levers3. The pinion s2 is adapted, when moved inward, to engage the gear s onthe reel-hub (Z4, but is normally held out of engagement therewith bymeans of a spring s1, coiled on the shaft s between the crank-arm s3 andthe plate b.

After the lire-escape has been used and the cables f and p unwound fromthe reel the cables may be agaim rewound by the device just describedsimply by pressing inward on the crank-arm s3, so as to engage lthegears s and s2 and then turning said crank. ln order to permit therewinding of the cables, as just described, some provision must ofcourse be made for relieving the friction of the clutch 011 the reelduring the time of rewinding.

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This might of course be accomplished by making stop-pin h3 in thescrew-rod h removable, so that the screw h may be turned outward to anextreme position, and thereby permit the complete disengagement of thefriction-clutch from the reel.

It must be obvious from the foregoing description that my improvedfire-escape may be quickly and securely applied to almost any sort of astructure from which a person desires to descend-as, for instance, tothe sill of a burning building. The person desiring to descend can slipthe body-strap m around his body just below the arms. By gripping'thehandpiece 7a with one hand he may steady himself and prevent his bodyfrom swinging, while by gripping the knurled head h' of the screw-rod hwith the other hand he may vary the speed at which he will descend ormay may bring the device to a standstill at will.

As already described, the hook or grapplev f may be released from itshold after a person or persons have descended to the ground by means ofthe tripping or releasing device.

It will be understood, of course, that While VI have described the abovedevice as especially adapted for a fire-escape the same might be usedwherever persons may desire to descend from an elevation.

It will also be understood that various alterations in the details ofconstruction above described may be made without departing from thespirit of my inventin.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. In a fire-escape or similar device, the combination with a bracket orhead-piece movable with the person, of a reel or Wind lass mounted. onsaid bracket, a cable wound on said reel, a friction-clutch workingagainst the face of said reel, a hand-operated screw Working againstsaid friction-clutch, and a stop device which permits a limited rotarymovement of said screw, but prevents the same from being released tosuch an extent that the friction of said clutch on said windlass will beentirely removed, substantially as described.

2. In a nre-escape or similar device, the combination with a bracket orhead-piece movable with the person, of a reel or windlass mounted onsaid bracket, a cable wound on said rcel, and a friction-clutch deviceinvolving a friction-head working against said reel,the hand-screw hWorking against said friction-head, and the stop-pin h3 carried by saidscrew h and working in the slot h2, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape or similar device, the combination with a bracket orhead-piece movable with the person, of a reel or Windlass mounted onsaid bracket and provided With a pair of peripheral grooves orsheavesurfaces, a main or supporting cable Wound in one of saidsheave-surfaces and provided with a hook at its free end, a tripping orreleasing lever pivoted to said hook, a iiexible connection from saidtrip-lever, Wound in the other of said sheave-surfaces, and a frictiondevice for controlling the speed of the unwinding movement of said reel,substantially as described.

4. In a fire-escape or similar device, the combination with a bracket orhead-piece movable with the person, of a reel or windlass mounted onsaid bracket and provided with a pair of peripheral grooves orsheavesurfaces, a main or supporting cable wound in one of saidsheave-surfaces and provided with a hook at its free end, a trip orreleasing lever pivoted to said hook7 a iieXible connection from saidtrip-lever Wound in the other of said sheave-surfaces, a friction devicefor controlling the unwinding movement of said reel, and a windingdevice for rewinding said cables or flexible connections on said reel,substantially as described.

5. In av fire-escape or similar device, the combination with a bracketor head-piece movable with the person, of the reel or windlass providedwith the pair of sheave-surfaces and the V-shaped face-groove, thetapelike suspending cable and the light trippingcable wound on saidreel, a hook at the free end of said suspending-cable, a tripping-leverpivoted to said hook and attached to the free end of saidtripping-cable, the clutch provided with a Wooden annular facing workingin the face-groove of said reel, the hand-op erated screw-rod forsetting said clutch, the body-strap carried by said bracket, and therewindin g device for rewinding said cable on said reel, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY STEIMANN.

Vitnesses:

JAs. F. WILLIAMSON, F. D. MERCHANT.

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